are these signs of autism

[nataliejc77]

Hi,
I would be really grateful if anyone could offer any advise. Apologies in advance if its a little long winded. I have a wonderful 11 month old son.. He has never been a very happy baby but now he is miserable all day every day, if he is not whining he is crying. it can take hours to get him to sleep at night or for a nap. he has a terrible temper when you try tp change his. Nappy
He has never waved, pointed for a toy ever. Or has he ever initiated a hug or a kiss. Every.hug results in back arching and him pulling away from me.
Also he still will not make any attempts to hold a sippy cup or bottle. His.contribution.remains to open hismouth!!
My hv has been very dismissive . Can anyone advise

i can't say for definate but at 11 months i'd say it was too early to tell and it will just be a case of wait and see.

About being miserable, is it the heat, or maybe his teeth?

My DS was never really a waver and never really pointed to toys either, he's 3.1 and does point now. I know some kids are not very touchy feely so maybe he's just one of them. I don't think my DS ever initiated a hug or kiss at that age. My DS also wouldn't really hold his cup or bottle until he was quite old which i partly put down to him being breastfed so he didn't have bottle when really young.

I'm not an expert but theres nothing in your post i would be worried about at his age.

They could be signs of Autism but lots of NT children show one or two signs of Autism at some point.

True Autism is a pervasive disorder. It doesn't show in just one or two small ways. It shows across lots of areas of a child's development and is an overall picture of a child with significant differences. This is something fro you to think about as he develops.

This website has a questionnaire for parents to complete about toddlers over 16 months. If you're still concerned at that point it might reassure you or give you something concrete to go to the HV with.

If you'd like reassurance more quickly than that you can ask your GP to refer him to a community paediatrician to assess him formally. Don't let them fob you off if you have concerns you feel should be addressed.

11 month definitely too early to tell. My first ds didn't point until about 2, also don't think he was much into hugs about then, but more into as he's got older (he's now 2.5). My second ds also seems less happy than 1st, but they are all different. Back arching tends to be when they're tired.

Try to not worry at 11 months! I've had concerns about my boy and we are in touch with developmental paed (for other reasons). She has assured me that even 18 months- 2y is too early to talk about austism, especially if there are only a few signs. It still might be good for your sake to talk to somebody about the fact that you think he has never been a happy baby and that he is struggling with the sleeping. It is a shame that your HV is not taking your worries seriously, is there some kind of support group you could be referred to? It is hard to stay positive sometimes. Wishing you well.

11 months is really early for pointing. You poor thing, he sounds a 'challenging' baby to me.

My dd also didn't do many of the things you mention at 11 months, but now at 15 months is very affectionate and communicative, and much more independent re holding cups, spoons etc. Try not to worry too much at this stage.

hi
thank you all so much for your replies. they have been such a comfort and reassurance. i would have replied earlier but my mum has been sick. thank you all xx